Processing apparatus



Oct. 30, 1928.- 1,690,068 F. W. ECKFELDT PROCESSING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 3,. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NVE N TOR IITNESSES figderick J/lZEdfild Oct. 30, 1922;

t F. w. ECKFELDT PROCESSING. APPARATUS Filed Oct. 3? 1927 5' Sheets-Sheet 2 Ju ii mun E a 1 my INVEN TOR a 33% m i...

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Oct 30, 192& 1,690,068

F. W. ECKFELDT PROCESSING APPARATUS Filed Oc 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN TOR Fmzmazc WEcZcjeZdt,

W ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 30, 1928.

F. W. ECKFELDT PROCESSING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 3, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I NVE NTOR Freda/rick WEcW WITNESSES A TTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 30, 1928 UNITED STATES 1,690,068 PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK W. ECKFELDT, OF NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN T. LEWIS & BROS. COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

rnoonssme APPARATUS.

Application filed October 3, 1927. Serial No. 223,830.

- the manufacture of paint pigments, lead products, etc., wherein the operation is carried on with application of heat, and the material concurrently agitated and subjected to the action of air or other gas with which it combines chemically for conversion into the de sired product.

In connection with such apparatus, I seek to attain high operative efliciency with assurance of a uniformly-treated first grade product under either .continuous or batch operation to the absolute avoidance of waste, and without necessitating employment of specially skilled labor other than an attendant to look after chargingand firing.

How the above, as well as other advantages, can be readily secured in practice will be manifest from the description hereinafter in coordination with the drawings, whereof Fig. I is a diagrammatic illustration partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section showing 'my-improved processing apparatus. D

Fig. II is a plan view of the organlzation, also more or less diagrammatically represented, with certain portions thereof broken away and others in section.

Fig. III is a transverse sectlon taken a indicated by the arrows III--III in Figs. I and II. v

Fig. IV is a cross section in accordance with the arrows IVIV in Figs. I and II.

Fig. V is a longitudinal section ofa rotary furnace forming a part of the apparatus, the section being taken as indicated by the arrows V-V in Figs. II, III, IV; and,

Fig. VI is a detail sectional View taken 10 cally in accordance with the arrows VIVI in Fig. V.

As herein depicted, the apparatus embodies a furnace comprehensively designated 10 with a housing. 11 which affords an arched longitudinally-extending tunnel 12 to enclose a generally cylindric horizontally-disposed sheet-metal drum 13 with a substantial clearance 14 around it. A longitudinally co extensive underlying narrower combustion chamber 15 (Figs. I, IV)' has its side walls convergent downwardly from those ofthe tunnel 12 and bridged by a horizontal arched diaphragm 16 which is surmounted centrally by a vertical partition 17 reaching up into close proximity to the bottom of the drum 13. Along one side of the furnace structure, the arched diaphragm 16 has one or more openings 18 by way of which the heated gasesresulting from combustion in the chamber 15 enter the tunnel 12. The furnace housing 11 is constructed of masonry throughout with fire brick 19 lining the tunnel 12 as well as the combustion chamber 15. The refractory lining 19, of the tunnel 12, is preferably partly surrounded by a course of insulating brick 20, and the remaining spaces between its arched roof, the vertical outer walls 21 and the flat roof '22 of the housing 11 filled in solid with cinder concrete as conventionally indicated at 23. The furnace housing 11 is bound together, both longitudinally and transversely, by a number of :tie rods 24 extending between angle iron stays 25 abutting the exterior wall faces, and is supported on the foundation 26 of masonry that provides the outer walls of the combustion chamber 15. A sunken pit 27 permits ready access to the fire and ash doors 28, 29, respectively,

leading into the combustion chamber 15 of the furnace. Upon entering the tunnel 12 through the openings 18 in the arched diaphragm 16, the hot gases emanating from the combustion chamber 15 pass upward at the right hand side of the tunnel 12 and the drum 13 (Fig. IV), being confined to such directional travel through the deflecting action of the vertical partition 17, thence around the interspace 14 over the top of the drum 13, downward at the left hand side of the latter and secape, through a. horizontal passage or passages 30, into a pre-heater 31 with a flue.

outlet 32 at its top. The specific construc tion and function of the pre-heater 31 will be fully explained later.

As shown in Figs. I, II and V, the ends of the drum 13 project to the exterior through circular openings 34, 34 in the end walls of the furnace'housing 11. Anchored in the masonry aboutthese openings 34, 34, are metallic facing rings 35 of angular cross section (see Fig. V) whereto are secured, by bolts 36, 37

spaced outer and inner annular sealing bafiles 3839; said battles being formed in arcuat'e segments, as shown in Fig. III, so that they can be readily removed from about the drum to permitits withdrawal endwise from the tunnel 12 for the purposes of inspection and repairs. As shown in Fig. V, the bullies 3U, 39 extend inward until they almost touch the drum 13, thereby serving as effective double barriers against escape of hot gases from the ends of the enclosure 11. The drum 13 is supported for rotation upon rollers O-Al. that are grouped in pairs whereof the components are symmetrically arranged exteriorly of the opposite ends of the furnace structure, see Figs. III, IV. V. The rollers -10--11, engage tread rings 42, 43 bolted to angle flanges 44: that are riveted or otherwise secured cir umlerent-ially around the drum 13 As shown in Fig. V, the rollers -10 have flange; to lap the sides of the tread ring 42 and thus prevent shifting of the drum incidental to its rotation. If desired, the rollers 41 may be similarly flanged although I have herein ilhutiuated them as being plain surfaced. The shafts of the supporting rollers i0-ll are respectively journalled in bearings l5---llh which rest on blocks il -18. that bridge parallel transv erse supporting beams 49 50, anchored in the foundation masonry 2G.

The material to be treated or procesed is introduced into the drum 13 at the left hand end (Fig. V) by means of a screw conveyor 51 revolving in a trough This trough lies on the bottom of? a charging tube 52;} (Fig. Vi) which is closed at the outer end, and 1 rejects through a central opening 5st in a :iead closing the end of the drum 1.3. Escape ot gases at this region is prevented by a sealing means which includes a circumferential flange 56 on the tube 53, and a. cooperating lapping channel annulus 5T fastened about the open ing 54 in the head Discharge from the drum 13 takes place at its right hand end through a tomvardlyprojecting conical extension 59 which terminates in a concentric tubular delivery outlet (30. The conical extension 59 is divided at (31, with the part (32 removable to enable access to the. interior oi the drum 13 should this become necessary for any reason. Attached to the cylindrie surface of the drum 13. at the inside, is a ribbon spiral (S3 whereof the convolu tions gradually increase in depth-and at the same time decrease in pitch as they approach the discharge outlet (30. This spiral ()3 may be formed ol sheet metal and secured by suitable means such as clips, instanceat at (ll in Fig. V. From Figs. I and It it will be observed thatthe charging tube communicates, through a vertical connecting conduit 65, with an intermediate screw conveyor (36 extending inward over the top of the furnace housing 11, the latter conveyor (36 in turn rommunicating with a trunk screw conveyor (37., leading from a suitable source of continuous supply of the raw material which is to latreated or processed.

The means tor driving the drum 13 includes a gear pinion (Fig. V) in mesh with internal teeth 71 on the tread ring said pinion being fast on a shaft 72 journalled in suitably-supported bearings 73, H. The shaft 72 carries dillerentiahratio sprocket wheels 75, 76 which are coordinated by chains 77, 78 with similar sprocket pinions T9, St) on a coimter-shatt 81 extending between bearings 82, respectively at the prc-heater Ill and on an elevated platform structure fill, contiguous to the furnace 10. The sprocket pinions 79, 80 are loose on the shaft 81 but capable of being individually coupled therewith by means of slidable clutching collars 86 with control handles 87, 88. The counter-sha'l't S1 is driven by a pulley belt connection 89 from a reversible prime mover-herein conventionally represented as an electric motor 90. The countershaft 81 also carries another sprocket pinion 91 also clutchable thereto by a. collar 92 with a control handle 92-3. 'lhrough the mediunrof a chain 9% the pinion 91 serves to drive the furnace charging screw conveyor 51 from which power is in turn communicated, through a sprocket chain connection 95, to the intermediate screw conveyor (36. The motion thus derived is still further transmitted, by a sprocket connection 96 at the opposite end of the intermediate screw conveyor 66 and bevel gearing 97, to the trunk screw conveyor 67.

To prevent caking of the material on the inner surface oi the drum til as well as at cumulation thereof in the angle pocl-zels formed by the spiral G3, I provide a jarring means embodying a series of vertical tappcl rods 98 that enter the furnace housing ll through openings at the top centrally over the drum 13. These tappet rods 98, for the most part, are square in cross section so as to be non-rotative in slide bearings 99 in the lower part of a supg'iorting superstrur" ture 100 on the furnace root Q2. lVithin the confines of the superstructure 100, the tappct rods 98 are offset, as at 101, for individual accommodation of actuating cams 102 secured on a shaft 103 rotatable in r-aid siu'ierstructm'e. The upper ends of the tappet rods 98 are cylindric with guidance in slide bearings 10 1 at the top of the superstructure 100. The cams 102 are set 12o" apart so that the tappet rods US are raised one after another and released to drop by ravity from above onto the drum 13. To determine a succession of repeat lUNK'lir? at each actuation of the tappet rods 98. their protruding upper ends are equipped with ad'iustable nuts 105 that cooperate with recoil or butter springs 106 surrmuiding the rod ends and resting on the top of the bearings 10-}. Thus, when the springs 105 are encountered, the rods 98 are repeatedly bounced up and down with consequent impartation to the drum 13 of a rapid and effective succession of knocks for the purpose specified. To offset the possibility of indenting the drum shell through striking of the tappets 98, I prefer to reinforce it at corresponding regions with circumferential bands 107, see Figs. I and V. The cam shaft 103 is equipped with a pair of pulleys 108, 109 that are respectively direct and crossbelt coordinated, as shown at 110, 111 in Fig. II, with drive pulleys 112, 11 3 on an auxiliary countershaft 114. This auxiliary counter shaft 114 is journalled in bearings 115 on the top of the furnace housing 11 and receives motion from the countershaft 81, previously mentioned, through a sprocket chain connection 116. Associated with the pulleys 112, 113 are individual clutch collars 117, 118 selectively operable by levers 119, 120 and draw handles 121, 122, accessible at the front or delivery end of the furnace 10.

From Figs. I, II and V it will be noted that the discharge outlet of the drum 13 extends through an opening 125 into a suction hood 126 which is supported on a floor .127 spanning the furnace pit 27 escape of the heated gases from the furnace 10 around the opening being prevented by sealing means 128 operative after the manner of the baffles 38, 39,11ereinbefore described. The lower part of the hood 126 is somewhat onlarged, as at 129, and provided at the front with a swinging door 130, see Fig. 111, permitting introduction and withdrawal of roller trucks, such as shown at131 in Fig. I, to receive the treated material from the drum 13. The hood 126 is connected by a pipe 132'with a centrifugal separator 13; supported in any suitable manner above the furnace '10, said separator discharging through an outlet 135 at its bottom directly into the truck screw conveyor 67. Another pipe 136 leads, from the top of the separator 133, to an auxiliary dust filter 137; which may be of any approved construction and fitted, at the top, with an exhaustblower 138. A pipe 139 serves to convey the dust recovered by the filter 137 back into the con duit for reintroduction into the drum 13, thereby obviating necessity for separate handling as well as avoiding wastage.

As shown in Figs. II and IV, the preheater 31 embodies a housing 140 of masonry which afl'ords space, in its interior, for a radiator-dike element with horizontal upper and lower headers, 141, 142 and 143, 144 respectively whereof each pair is joined by a bank of vertical connecting tubes 145,146, and the upper headers by one or more transverse tubes 147. In the present instance, the

lower header 143 is open at one end for induction of atmospheric airas evidenced by an arrowin Fig. II, the air traveling through the tubes 145 to the corresponding upper header 142, then down through the tubes 146 into the lower header 144, from which a pipe 148 leads to the furnace charging tube 53, see Figs. I, II and.IV. In the furnace charging tube 53, the air passes over the material in the trough 52 and enters the drum 13 through a goose neck spout 149, reaching Well up above thecenter of said drum and discharging near its top. This provision permits the drum 13 to be well filled Without danger of the material backing up into the air flow system by-way of the spout 149.

In practicing the batch method treatment with the apparatus of my invention, the procedure is as follows: The sprocket pinion 79 is clutched to the counter shaft 81 so that:

jected to the direct action of the heated gases from the combustion chamber 15. lVith the drum 13 rotating as ust described, the pinion 91 is clutched to the shaft 81 so that the feeding system for the raw material, including the trunk screw conveyor 67, the intermediate screw conveyor 66 and the feeding conveyor 51, are concurrently driven by the sprocket connections 94, 95 and 96. After a sufiicient quantity of material has been delivered into the drum 13, the pinion 91 is again disconnected. Now it will be observed that as the drum 13 rotates in the direction indicated, the spiral 63 induces rearward travel of the lower strata of the material tending to pile itup against the head 55, but such a contingency is counteractedthrough the operation of gravity tending to cause movement of the upper strata in the opposite direction due to the angle of repose of the material. A continuous rolling agitation is therefore set up in the material so that the particles are continually changing their position and therefore effectively subjected to the heat from the furnace 15, as well as to the air coursing through the drum 13 while the material is thus prevented from rising to the level of the outlet 60. During the treatment, the tap pets 93 are constantly maintained in operation through pre-clutching of the pulley 112 to the shaft 114. Asa consequence of the constant jarring induced by the tappets98, the-material is effectively prevented from clinging to the walls of the drum 13. The pre-heated air continuously coursing through the drum 13 incidental to the treatment in the manner already understood. not only assists in maintaining the desired temperature within the drum, but in said case of oxidization of lead. also reacts chemically with the material. The particles freed as a result of turbulence in the drum 13 are carried along by the air.through the hood 1:26 and the pipe 132, and collected by the centrifugal separator 133 for subsequent re introduction into the trunk screw conveyor 67. The lighter particles escaping the separator 133 pass on through the tube 136 into the filter 137 where they are trapped and precipitated, before the air is discharged into the atmosphere by the blower 138. After the treatment has been carried on to the desired extent, the sprocket pinion 79 is unclutched from the shaft 81. and the pulley 'llQ-nt the same timedisconneeted from the driving" shaft ill. The motor 90 is thereupon reversed through a suitable switch control means-not shown-to drive the counter shaft 81 in the opposite direction. \Vith this preparation, the pulley 112 For the cross belt 111 is first clutched to the shaft 111- so that the cam shaft 103 is rotated in the same direction as before, thereby to prevent injury or jan'nning of the ]a.rring mechanism 98-103. The sprocket pinion S0 is next clutched to the shaft 81 to effect rotation oi the drum 13 in a direction reverse to that indicated by the arrow in Fig. IV and at increased speed by virtue of the higher gear ratio of the sprockets 80, '76. Under such changed rotation of the drum 13, the spiral 63 acts to advance the material forward at a decreasing rate, such action being evenly controlled by reason of the gradual increase in the depth of the spiral eonvolutions making up for the decrease in progressing capacity of the spiral due to the reduction in pitch toward the outlet (30 of the drum 13. The drum 13 is thus emptied without necessity for tilting it or requiring aid of separate or extraneous means for such purpose, and the material deposited into the waiting car or truck 131 in a very much shorter period of time than would otherwise be required. The whole operation is moreover sanitary by virtue oi. the provisions made for removal of dust so that the apparatus is einployable in the treatment of materials, which, under other circumstances, would be injurious to health.

By obvious modifications in the driving connections within the scope of this invention, the apparatus can be adapted 't'or con tinuous treatment when the drum 123 is maintained in rotation in the direction last described and the material continuously fed into the same by the screw conveyor 51. the treatment being regulatable by controlling the speed of rotation. V

I have thus provided a highly efficient and thoroughly reliable processing apparatus re- (pairing minimum attention in its operation and maintenance. The foregoing is, in part, due to the facility with which the drum 13, together with all its appendages, can be removed intact from the furnace housing 11 for lllSPQttlOll and repair without necessity for demolishing any part of the masonry. The apparatus of my invention is particularly unique in that it is devoid o1" moving parts other than the drum 12) and the driving con nections therefor. the latter being all exterior to the turnacc 5), out of the heat zone, and at all times readily accessible for the purposes of luln'icatimi. l'ihile l have referred to the drum 13 as being constructed wholly of metal, in certain instances of practice I may line or cover same with refractory material. or construct it entirely from such material.

it is to he expressly understood that my invention is not limited to the specific use herein descrilnal but that it is tlljll jlltftlhlti to n-ocessing oi" other materials either with-or without-application ot heat and with substitution of chemically reacting fluid inediums other than air when the treatment so requires.

Having thus described my invention, 1. claim:

1. A proce sing apparatus of the character described comprising a rotary drum. and au intcrnallyattached spiral with convolu- Lions of gradinilly increasing depth and progressively diminishing pitch for continuous progression of material being processed longitudinally at an ellectively controlled rate from the receiving end of the drum to the delivery end.

A proc ing apparatus of the character described comprising a horizontal rotary drum with a conical end leading to a delivery opening, and an in:crnally-attached spiral with convolutions ol' gradually increasing depth and progressively diminishing pitch for hauling the material being processed longitudinally of the drum to said delivery opening.

3. It 1)ro=' -cssin; apparatus of the chariwter described comprising a horizontal rotating drum with an intcrnallyattaehed spiral to progress material being processed longitudinally in the drum, and jarring mechanism operative with intermittent power and. recoil strokes upon the drum from above to dislodge material tending to adhere to the inner surface of the drum and accumulate within the angle pockets torn'icd by the spiral.

1. A processin; apparatus of the character described comprising a horizontal rotating drum. an interimlly-attached spiral to progross the material being processed longit ndinally of the drum. and jarring means inchiding a number of tappets intermittently released to drop on the shell of the drum from above so as to dislodge material tending to Nil) ill

all J adhere to the inner surface of thejdrum and accumulate within the angle pockets formed by the spiral.

5. A processing apparatus of the character described comprising a horizontal rotating drum, and jarring mechanism including a number of tappets intermittently rel ased to drop on the drum from above so as to dislodge adhering material at the interior, and means operative incidental to the release of the tappets to determine several rapidly succeeding repeat knocks at each actuation.

6. A processing apparatus ofthe character described comprising a horizontal rotating drum, and jarring mechanism including a number of tappets intermittently released to drop on the drum from above so as to dislodge adhering material at the interior, and spring means intercepting the fall of the tappets incidental to their release to determine several rapidly succeeding repeat knocks at each actuation.

7 A processing apparatus of the character described comprising a tunneled furnace housing with an underlying combustion chamber, a rotary drum having a circumferential clearance within the tunnel for circulation thereabout of heated gases from the combustion chamber, and annular sealing closures for the tunnel extending around the ends of the drum, said closures being formed in detachable sections to permit endwise re moval of the drum from the tunnel.

8. A processing apparatus of the character described comprising a tunnelled furnace housing with an underlying combustion chamber, a rotary drum having circumferential clearance within the tunnel for circulation thereabout of the heated gases from the combustion chamber, and closures forming seals with circumferential projections at the ends of the drum, said closures comprising sections detachable from the housing to clear the circumferential projections aforesaid and permit endwise removal of the drum from the tunnel.

9. A processing apparatus of the character described comprising a tunnelled furnace housing with an underlying combustion chamber, a rotary drum having circumferential clearance within the tunnel for circulation thereabout of heated gases from the combustion chamber, and segmental closure plates forming annular seals with circumfen ential projections at the ends of the drum, said plates being secured to the housing with capacity for detachment to clear the circumferential projections aforesaid and permit endwise removal of the drum from the tunnel.

10. A processing apparatus of the character described comprising a tunnelled furnace housing with a longitudinally co-extensive underlying combustion chamber, a rotary drum having cricumferential clearance thereabout within the tunnel, closures comprising detachable sections forming seals at the ends of the drum and serving to permit ready withdrawal of said drum from the housing for inspection or repair, and partitioning, means within the housing determining ClI- culation of heated gases from the combustion chamber up to one side of the drum, over its top, and down on the other side before disrotary drum having circumferential clear ance thereabout within the tunnel, closures comprising detachable sections forming seals at the ends of the drum and serving to permit ready withdrawal of said drum lengthwise in either direction from the housing for inspection or repair, a horizontal separating partition with ports affording communication of the combustion chamber with one side of the tunnel, outlets from the other side of said tunnel immediately above the horizontal partition, and a vertical partition extending up from the horizontal partition to the bottom, of the drum whereby the heated gases emanating from the combustion chamber are confined to circulation up along one side of the drum around its top, and down the other side before discharge through the outlets aforesaid.

12. A processing apparatus of the char acter described comprislng a furnace housing with a tunnel and an underlying combustion chamber, a closed horizontal drum rotating within the tunnel, end closures comprising arcuate segments forming seals between the housing tunnel and said drum, said end closures permitting easy removal of the drum from the housing for inspection or repair, and a preheater interposed in the fine from the furnace, Said preheater embodying an independent flow conduit system to deliver preheated gases to the drum for reaction with material being processed therein.

13. A processing apparatus of the character described comprising a furnace housing with a tunnel and an underlying combustion chamber, a closed horizontal drum rotating within the tunnel, end closures comprising detachable segments forming seals between the housing tunnel and said drum, said sectional end closures facilitating ready removal of the drum lengthwise from the housing for inspection or repair, and a-preheater interposed in the fine from the furnace, said preheater embodying an independent flow conduit system receiving preheated fresh air from the atmosphere for delivery to the drum to oxidize material being processed in the latter.

14. A processing apparatus of the character described comprising a furnace with a closed rotatable horizontal drum having a delivery outlet at one end, and means to introduce the material to be processed axially into the other end, a preheater interposed in' the flue from the furnace and communicating into the drum, a hood protecting the delivery outlet of the drum and a recovery system including a collector and associated suction creating means to induce influx and circulation of air through the preheater, on through the drum for reaction with the material being processed thereon, and finally through the hood and collector aforesaid so as to carry along the FREDERICK \V. ECKF ELDT. 

